Two-part electric-lamp socket



Nov. 22, 1932. ERlKsoN y Two-PART ELECTRIC LAMP socKET Filed' March 5,A 1951 Patented Nov. 22, 1932- y, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE wenn nnrxsox, or naman, nssacnnsarrs, assIeNoa ronnrxsonfmcrnrc conm, or nosron, nassacnu'snrrs, a coaroiwrioiv or massacnnsarrs Two-raar 'abnorme-Lm 4soenna? A.Application -nled Iarch 5,

"The object of the present invention ist'o provide a two-part electric-lamp socket constructed to facilitate the ready removal or insertion of lamps used in connection with 5 show-case reflectors and the like.

-With this obj ect in view my invention contemplates a lamp socket having two separate portions which are formed into a unitary structure by hinge members mechanically connecting said portions and electrically connecting the terminals of the one to the corresponding terminals of the other.

One of said portions, hereinafter referred to as the end portion, is constructed and arranged to be aihxed to the show-case re- `Hector or other device with which the twopart socket is to be employed and has the supply circuit terminals secured thereto.

l The other 4portion .of my two-part socket is hereinafter styled the lampfreceiving portion and is relatively movable with respect to said end portion.

The lamp-receiving portion embodies a pair of terminal members electrically connected to the lamp-contacting terminals thereof, that is to say, the usual threaded shell into which the lamp is screwed'and the spring contact member with which the button contact of the lamp cri-operates when the lamp is screwed into said shell.

The two portions are hingedly connected by a pair of members, which may be resilient strips, and which serve the purpose not only of mechanically connecting said portions together for relative movement but also of connecting the terminalsof the end portion to the corresponding' terminals of the lamp-receiving portion, the latter terminals as aforesaid being electrically connected to` 40 the lamp-contacting terminals.

The drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification illustrates one embodiment of my invention which has given good results in practice; but it is to be understood that said drawing is merely illustrative and not restrictive.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a show-case reflector having a twopart electric-lamp socket which embodies my invention secured part socket as viewed from the rear, certain parts being shown in section; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of one form of hinge member that may be employed for connecting the two portions of the socket.

In the particular drawing selected for more fully disclosing the principle of my in# vention, 10 represents a common form of ISESV show-case reiiector within which the stationary end portion 11 of my two-part reflector is disposed and to which it is secured in the present instance by the screw 12.

As indicated in the drawing the end portion 11 may be a block of insulating material of any suitable kind and has a air of conducting members 1'3, 14 dispose in grooves cut in the rearward or inner face thereof, said members being secured thereto by screws 15, 16 respectivel The conducting members 13, 14 project beyond the inner end of the portion 11 and terminate in end portions 17, 18, respectively,

4 which are bent at right angles to the horizontal parts of said conductors and are arranged in grooves in the forward end of the block 11.

The lamp-receiving portion 19 of the twopart socket is provided on its rearward end with'a pair of conducting members 20, 21 connected electrically and mechanically to the respective lamp-contacting terminals of the socket by the screws 22, 23, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the conducting member 20 being connected `with the .spring clip which is contacted by the end button of the lamp and the conducting member 21 being connected to the socket shell with which thel metallic base of the lamp makes contact when the lamp is screwed thereinto.

In the present instance the means employed for hingedly connecting the two portions of the socket mechanically and electrically are a pair of resilient strips of conducting material one of which -is shown at 24111 Figs. 3 and 5,

`said strips bein secured respectively to theI '5 In the particular embodiment of the' inventioneshown in the drawing, the ends of said resilient strips are eyeleted to the corresponding pairs of said conducting members, 13, l and 20, 21V. Thus, the strip 24 is eyeleted to the down turned end17 ofthe conducting member13 of the fixed end portion 11 of the socket and to the conducting member 20 disposed in the rearward end of u', the lamp-receiving portion 19 as indicated at 25, 26 (Figs. 3 and 5). In like manner the other resilient strip indicated at 27 (Fi 4) is e eleted-to the down turned end o the con ucting member 14 of theend portion 11 and to the conducting member 21 of the lampreceiving portion.

The pair of resilient strips therefore constitutes a hinge between the members of the twpart socket, mechanically connecting the same, and at the same time aiording a means for electrically connecting the terminals of one to the corresponding terminals of the other. l Y

In order to retain the relatively movable lamp-receiving portion 19 in closed or operative position a spring clip 28 may be lemployed, said clip being secured to the top wall of the reflector and arranged to spring into a shallow groove formed in the end of.

' Y saidlamp-receiving portion when the latter is closed against the stationary end portion,

as shown in Fig. 1.

The lower wall of the reector is-provided i with the usual channel 29 for the currentsupply conductors which as indicated in Fig.

4 4 are connected to the conducting members 13, 14 of the stationary end portionll in any sultable manner. Being connected to a sta-- moved with respect to'said stationary-mem- P l'. It bein` desirable to protect the. hin

members' om exposure, the outer face of t e end portion 11 is shown in the present instance as rovided with a recess 30 at its for- -ward en and the lamp-receiving member with a cooperating ledge 31 at its rearward end, so that atfall'times, whether the lampreceiving portion isi open as in Fig. 3 o r closed' as in Fig. l'the `hinge members will be prol tected from exposure. The 'said ledge and projection also servethe pur ose of limit-- ing the outward. movement o the lamp-recelving portion with respect to-the fixed end portion. Y

By meansof the present invention the of insulation is prevented.

conductors when the movableportion of my two-part socket is moved on, its hin es, the danger from shortcircuits due to a rasion The said invention also obviatesanother diiiiculty heretofore encountered in the use of sockets swiveled to show-case reflectors and like devices or otherwise connected thereto for turning movement with` referenceto. the same, namely, that on account of the repeated movement of saidv socket the currentsupply conductors are either broken or become loosened from the socket terminals, because in all such cases so far as am aware, the supply circuit terminals are connected, not to a stationary member such as the end portion '11 of my two-part socket but to the socket itself so that the movement of said socket necessarily results in movement of the supply conductors.

Having thus described an illustrative embodimcnt of my invention, without however limiting the same thereto, what I claim and. desire `to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A two-part electric-lamp lsocket compris ing a stationary end portionfsupply-circuit terminals secured thereto, "a lamp-receiving portion relatively movable with respect to said end portion and embodying lamp termi nals, and a pair of resilient hinge members electrically and mechanically connecting the terminals of the said end portion to the corresponding terminals\o said lamp-receiving portion.

2. A two-part eledtric-lamp socket comprising a stationary end portion, supply-circuit terminals secured thereto, a lamp-receiving portion relatively movable with respect to said end portion and embodying lamp terminals, a pair of hinge members electricallyV and mechanically connecting the terminals of the said end portion to the corresponding terminals of said lamp-receiving portion and means forming part of one of said portions for protecting said hinge members from cxosure.

prising 'a stationary end portion, a pair oi conducting members secured to the inner face ofA said en'd portion and projecting beyond the forward end thereof, a lamp-receiving por- 3. A two-.part electric-lamp socket com- I tion relatively movable with respect to said Y end portion, a pair of conducting members secured to the rearward end of said lamp-receiving'portion andelectrically connected, ref

spectively, to the lamp terminals thereof and a pair of resilient strips of conducting material secured respectively to the corresponding conducting members of -said end portion and -'1 i lamp-receiving portion.' 4. A two-part electric-lamp socket comprising a stationary end portion, -a pairof conducting members secured tothe inner face 'of` saidend portion and. projecting beyond' the forward end thereof, a lamp-recelvlng lao lamps may be more readily removed fromv and'inserted into the .socket-and, as' there is no physical movement of the current-snpply material secured respectively to the corre-` sponding conducting members of said end portion and lamp-receivin portion.

in testimony whereof, I lieve lhereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of March, 1931.

LEONARD ERIKSON. 

